October 13 | 1 Peter 3:19-22
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Extreme Measures
By Pam Mann
Consider the extremes to which Christ has gone on your behalf.
Jesus left the total bliss of heaven, took on human flesh, lived the perfect life of obedience to your heavenly Father, suffered a horrific execution...
(Here our passage from 1 Peter 3 continues the list of extremes.)
Jesus conquered death, including a descent into hell, leaving no place untouched by His resurrection power. He appeared to many individuals that they might know the reality of His resurrection. He ascended into heaven and is now seated at God’s right hand!
Angels, authorities, and powers are in submission to Him!
That’s an amazing list of extreme measures.
Why all that fuss? Because sin is that deadly. Because God’s love for you is that profound. And because you are that precious to your Creator. He knows you intimately. Every hair on your head is counted.
Extreme measures have been taken to purchase your freedom, to rescue you from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Jesus went to these cosmic extremes so that you might live a new life with Him. You are now a new creature with an intimate Friend in the highest power position in the universe. Jesus means for you to take advantage of your personal power connection to Him to show everyone in your sphere of influence how God’s extreme love works.
The more you get to know who Jesus is, the more others around you will also learn from you who Jesus is. And, as you grow in Christ, you give yourself more fully to His extreme team, the Church.
We sometimes see human examples of extreme rescue measures: the kidney donor, the parent who works two jobs to pay a child’s tuition, the firefighter facing down the flames, or the soldier who falls on a grenade to save squad mates. We rightfully laud such sacrifice. However, our human extreme measures pale in comparison to the extreme measures that Jesus took to rescue us.
Revelation 5 tells of rescued souls, like ours, from every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev. 5:9), gathered around the throne of grace to worship the Lamb, who was slain for our sake. What will we do? We will sing our praise and worship!
Why wait? We can praise and worship today the One who took such extreme measures for our sake.
PRAYER
Precious Jesus, we thank You and praise You. We worship You because You are worthy. We are awed by the extreme lengths to which You go for us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PAM MANN
I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.
"descent into hell, leaving no place untouched by His resurrection power. "
That fact hit powerfully. How can I not bend my knee!?!
I don't remember ever reading these verses before. 🤔 Makes me consider how many other vital Words I've yet to encounter. Thank you, Pam, for bringing these to life for me today.